Here's a "High Five" for cookbook "Ten" by Sheila Lukins

Sheila Lukins is a woman after my heart. She is unabashedly passionate about cooking, food and creativity. You may remember her from her prior successes as co-author of the “The Silver Palate Cookbooks” or the five others she has written. This MAY be her best!

The premise: write down your favorite foods and then find 10 variations on each theme. Bingo…the result has to be a winner.

Thus “Ten” by Sheila Lukins, Workman Press Publishing, with its bright tomato red cover is there for you…and me to lap up.

For me, choosing recipes to share with you in this review was TOUGH! In each category, there were at least two contenders…the winners are shared with you today. However, the good news is that today is Part One. We will revisit this book next week to share more… it is simply that good!

Sheila had me with her introduction to this recipe…“There is nothing like a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch…” The combination is at the top of my personal “comfort food” list. She says that even in the bleakest times… a bit of allspice blends with canned tomatoes and fragrant dill will set everything right.”

Kitchen Tomato Soup

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups diced onion (1/4-inch dice)

1 tbsp. finely minced garlic

½ tsp. ground allspice

6 tbsp. chopped fresh dill leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth*

2 cans (28 oz. each) peeled plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 tsp. sugar

1.Melt butter in the olive oil in a heavy pot over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the allspice over the onion mixture and cook for l minute longer.

2. Add 4 tbsp. of the dill and season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes and sugar.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

4. Puree the soup in batches, in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the remaining 2 tbsp. dill. Taste and correct the seasonings, if necessary.

5. Serve hot, or let cool and then refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours to serve cold. Serve garnished with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprig of dill. Serves 8.

Note: If you like your tomato soup creamy, stir in the sour cream and then top it with the dill sprig.

*To “doctor” canned chicken broth, add 3 chicken wings to 5-6 cups broth and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

Beef fillets are dressing and very tender. However, as Sheila notes, “…they need a real flavor boost. This does the trick: a gooey orange glaze that reduces and intensifies to a rich orange flavor without overwhelming the beef.”

Orange Beef Fillets

For the glaze:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. finely minced

2 ½ cups fresh orange juice

½ cup unsulfured molasses

¼ cup dark rum

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the beef:

2 fillets of beef (each 2 pounds)

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

2 scallions (white bulb and 3 inches green), for garnish

1. To prepare the glaze: Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes longer.

2. Stir in the orange juice, molasses and rum. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture has reduced to 1 ½ cups, about 15 minutes. Let the glaze cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, preheat a barbecue grill or the broiler to high. Generously oil the grill grate or the rack of the boiler pan.

4. Brush the fillets with the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Arrange them on the grate or in the broil pan. Grill or broil until the fillets are well-crusted on the first side, about 5 minutes.

5. Using tongs, turn fillets over. Brush some of the glaze over the top and side. Grill or broil for 5 minutes to medium-rare meat (135-140 degrees on an instant read thermometer).

6. Transfer the fillets to a cutting board and let them rest 5 to 10 minutes. Then cut them into ½-inch thick slices and arrange them on a warmed serving dish. Drizzle the remaining glaze over the slices and sprinkle with the scallions. Serve immediately. Serves 8.